Electric off-road wheeled vehicle

ABSTRACT

A method of shutting down an off-road vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes two rear wheels, two front wheels, a motor selectively operatively connected to the wheels, a front driveshaft selectively connected to the motor to selectively drive the two front wheels, and a rear driveshaft connected to the motor to drive the two rear wheels. The method includes: interrupting operation of the motor; and automatically operatively connecting the front driveshaft to the motor once the operation of the motor has been interrupted.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/636,519, filed Mar. 3, 2015, which is a division of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/131,526, filed Jan. 8, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No.8,973,691, which is a 371 of International Patent Application No.PCT/CA2012/000651, filed Jul. 5, 2012, which claims benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/505,608, filed Jul. 8, 2011, theentirety of all of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to electric off-road wheeledvehicles.

BACKGROUND

Recreational utility vehicles (RUVs) generally have an open cockpit areawith side-by-side seating. They are often referred to as side-by-sideAll-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs).

The open cockpit area is protected by a roll cage disposed above thecockpit area. The driver and the passenger enter and exit (ingress andegress) the vehicle through lateral passages, as is traditionally doneon automobiles.

As is the case of most off-road vehicles, RUVs are typically powered byan internal combustion engine. Therefore, these RUVs typically consumepetroleum based fuels and emit exhaust gases such as carbon dioxide andnitrous oxides. These gases are known to contribute to the greenhouseeffect.

In recent years, the efficiency of internal combustion engines hasimproved resulting in less fuel consumption and lower emissions ofgreenhouse gases.

It is also possible to completely eliminate fuel consumption andgreenhouse gas emissions by replacing the internal combustion engine byan electric motor. An increased number of automobiles are now powered byone or more electric motors.

However, the systems developed for the automobile industry cannot bedirectly applied to RUVs. RUVs are designed to operate off-road, whichmeans that they are more exposed to dirt, mud, and water thanautomobiles. The vehicle layout of an RUV is also different than that ofan automobile. Finally, the performance and operating expectations ofowners of RUVs differ from those of an automobile. Owners of electricautomobiles typically give a lot of importance to the vehicle'sefficiency in order to have the maximum range of operation and give lessimportance to factors such as maximum speed, handling and acceleration.Although vehicle range would also likely be of concern to owners ofelectric RUVs, they also have high expectations regarding aspects suchas maximum speed, handling and acceleration. In other words, an electricRUV should be true to its “recreational” nature.

Therefore, there is a need for an RUV powered by an electric motor.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present to provide a method of shutting down anoff-road vehicle.

In one aspect, the present provides a method of shutting down anoff-road vehicle. The vehicle includes two rear wheels, two frontwheels, a motor selectively operatively connected to the wheels, a frontdriveshaft selectively connected to the motor to selectively drive thetwo front wheels, and a rear driveshaft connected to the motor to drivethe two rear wheels. The method comprises: interrupting operation of themotor; and automatically operatively connecting the front driveshaft tothe motor once the operation of the motor has been interrupted.

In a further aspect, the method further comprises automaticallyconnecting a rear left drive axle to a rear right drive axle such thatthe two rear wheels are rotatable together.

In an additional aspect, the method further comprises automaticallyconnecting a front left drive axle to a front right drive axle such thatthe two front wheels are rotatable together.

In a further aspect, automatically connecting the front left drive axleto the front right drive axle comprises connecting the front left andright drive axles together with a front gear assembly, the front gearassembly operatively connecting the front left and right drive axles tothe front driveshaft.

In an additional aspect, interrupting operation of the motor includesmoving a vehicle key to an “off” position.

In a further aspect, the motor is an electric motor, and the vehiclefurther includes at least one battery electrically connected to theelectric motor.

In an additional aspect, the method further comprises moving a shifterof the vehicle to a park position. Interrupting operation of the motorincludes interrupting operation of the motor in response to the shiftermoving to the park position.

In a further aspect, the method further comprises automatically engaginga parking brake in response to the shifter moving to the park position.The parking brake is operatively connected to at least one of theelectric motor and at least one of the wheels.

For purposes of this application the term “recreational utility vehicle”(RUV) refers to an “opened” wheeled vehicle (contrary to a pickup truckwhich is a “closed” vehicle due to its closed passenger cabin) designedfor off-road use which usually has side-by-side seating.

Also, terms related to spatial orientation such as forwardly,rearwardly, front, rear, upper, lower, left, and right, are as theywould normally be understood by a driver of the vehicle sitting in anormal driving position.

Embodiments of the present invention have at least one of theabove-mentioned object and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have allof them. It should be understood that some aspects of the presentinvention that have resulted from attempting to attain theabove-mentioned object may not satisfy this object and/or may satisfyother objects not specifically recited herein.

Additional and/or alternative features, aspects, and advantages ofembodiments of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description, the accompanying drawings, and the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description, taken in combinationwith the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a left side elevation view of an RUV, with fairings partiallyremoved for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, taken from a front, left side, of the RUVof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the RUV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view, taken from a front, left side, of the RUVof FIG. 1, with fairings and other elements removed for clarity;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the RUV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a left side elevation view of the RUV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a right side elevation view of the RUV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view, taken from a front, right side, of the RUVof FIG. 4, with a roll cage, seats, and other elements removed forclarity;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the RUV of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a left side elevation view of the RUV of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view, taken from a rear, left side, of a cargobox of the RUV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the cargo box of FIG. 11, with theupper floor removed for clarity;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the power train of the RUV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a bottom plan view of the power train of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a right side elevation view of the power train of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is perspective view, taken from a rear, right side, of a reardifferential of the power train of FIG. 13;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view, taken from a front, left side, of the RUVof FIG. 1 having an alternative arrangement of the batteries andcomponents of the electrical system, with fairings and other elementsremoved for clarity;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the cargo box of FIG. 11 with thealternative arrangement of the batteries of FIG. 17 and with the upperfloor and upper tailgate removed for clarity;

FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the power train of the RUV of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a bottom plan view of the power train of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a bottom plan view of the power train of FIG. 19;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view, taken from a rear, right side, of anelectric motor of the RUV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 23 is a longitudinal cross-section of the electric motor of FIG.22;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view, taken from a rear, right side, of analternative embodiment of an electric motor of the RUV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 25 is a longitudinal cross-section of the electric motor of FIG.24;

FIG. 26 is a schematic representation of an electrical system of the RUVof FIG. 1;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view, taken from a front, left side of ashifter of the RUV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view, taken from a front, right side of theshifter of FIG. 27; and

FIG. 29 is a schematic illustration of a shifter plate defining a shiftpattern of the shifter of FIG. 27.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with respect to arecreational utility vehicle (RUV). However it contemplated that aspectsof the embodiments of the present invention could be used on other typesof off-road vehicles having an open cockpit area, such as all-terrainvehicles having a straddle-seat for example.

FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate an RUV 10 having a front end 5, a rear end 6,and two lateral sides 7 (left and right). The RUV 10 includes a frame 12to which a vehicle body is mounted. The frame 12 has a front portion12A, a middle portion 12B and a rear portion 12C. A pair of front wheels14 is suspended from the front portion 12A of the frame 12 via frontsuspensions 13A, described in greater detail below. A pair of rearwheels 14 is suspended from the rear portion 12C of the frame 12 viarear suspensions 13B, described in greater detail below. Each of thefour wheels 14 has a tire 15. A cockpit area 22 is disposed in themiddle portion 12B of the frame 12. The cockpit area 22 comprises twoseats 18 (left and right). The left and right seats 18 are mountedlaterally beside each other to accommodate a driver and a passenger(riders), respectively, of the RUV 10. The seats 18 are bucket seatseach having a seat base and a backrest. It is contemplated that theseats 18 could be other types of recumbent seats. A console 23 (FIG. 3)positioned between the right and left seats 18 covers and separates anelectric motor 50 (FIG. 4) of the vehicle 10 from the driver and thepassenger. The console 23 defines in part a central cooling tunnelallowing air to flow from the front end 5 of the vehicle 10 to the rearend 6 of the vehicle to cool the electric motor 50. International PatentPublication Number WO 2009/096977 A1, published Aug. 6, 2009, theentirety of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes acooling tunnel for an RUV similar to the one defined by the console 23for the RUV 10. Each seat 18 is provided with a safety belt 17.

The cockpit area 22 is open at the two lateral sides 7 of the RUV 10,forming two lateral passages 24 (left and right), through which theriders can ingress and egress the RUV 10. A lateral cover 40 isselectively disposed across each lateral passage 24. The lateral cover40 extends vertically from a roll cage 30 to a point vertically lowerthan the seat base 17. It is contemplated that only one of the twolateral passages 24 could be selectively partially covered by a lateralcover 40. The lateral covers 40 are made of flexible straps 42 andflexible panels 44 of meshed material. When the riders are riding theRUV 10, the lateral covers 40 are intended to be disposed across thelateral passages 24. However, when the riders are not riding the RUV 10and they desired either ingress or egress the cockpit area 22, thelateral cover 40 can be opened to clear the lateral passages 24.

The roll cage 30 is connected to the frame 12 and is disposed above thecockpit area 22. The roll cage 30 is an arrangement of metal tubes thatcontributes to protecting the riders in the event the vehicle 10 rollsover. The roll cage 30 has several attachment points to the frame 12.Toward the front 5 of the RUV 10, the roll cage 30 connects to the frame12 at front attachment points 32 (left and right). The front attachmentpoints 32 are located longitudinally between a roll axis of the frontwheels 14 and a foremost point of the seats 18. Toward the rear 6 of theRUV 10, the roll cage 30 connects to the frame 12 at rear attachmentpoints 34 (left and right). The rear attachment points 34 are locatedlongitudinally between a roll axis of the rear wheels 14 and a rearmostpoint of the seat base 17 of the seats 18. The roll cage 30 furtherincludes a pair of lateral restraining members 36, one on each side of arear part of the roll cage 30. The lateral restraining members 36 areU-shaped tubes that extend forward from the rear part of the roll cage30 partially into the lateral passages 24. It is contemplated that thelateral restraining members 36 could have a different shape. It is alsocontemplated that the restraining members 36 could be omitted.

A steering device 16 including a steering wheel is disposed in front ofthe left seat 18. It is contemplated that, the steering wheel could bedisposed in front of the right seat 18. The steering device 16 isoperatively connected to the two front wheels 14 to permit steering ofthe RUV 10.

As seen in FIG. 6, an accelerator pedal 20 is located in front of thedriver seat 18, above a floor of the cockpit area 22, below the steeringdevice 16. The pedal 20 is pivotally connected to a bracket 26. A pedalposition sensor 28 is mounted to the bracket 26 and is connected to apivot shaft (not shown) of the pedal 20 located forwardly of the pedal20. The pedal position sensor 28 senses a position of the pedal 20. Theaccelerator pedal 20 is used by the driver to control a speed of thevehicle 10. A brake pedal (not shown) is located in front of the driverseat 18, above a floor of the cockpit area 22, below the steering device16, to the left of the accelerator pedal. The brake pedal is used by thedriver to brake the vehicle 10. A shifter 46 is located in and extendsfrom the console 23 between the seats 18. The shifter 46 is used by thedriver to select a mode of operation of the vehicle 10. The modes ofoperation are: park, reverse, neutral, high, and low. It is contemplatedthat one or more modes of operation could be omitted and/or that othermodes of operation could be provided. For example, the two forward modesof operation (i.e. high and low) could be replaced by a single forwardmode of operation (i.e. drive). The shifter 46 and the various modes ofoperation will be described in greater detail below. The vehicle 10 isprovided with additional lever and switches to control an operatingcondition of the vehicle 10, some of which will be described furtherbelow.

A cargo box 11 is pivotally mounted to the frame 12 rearwardly of theseats 18. The cargo box 11 will be described in greater detail below. Itis contemplated that the cargo box 11 could be omitted.

As best seen in FIG. 2, each front suspension 13A includes lower andupper A-arms 52, 54. Each lower A-arm 52 is pivotally connected at oneend to the front portion 12A of the frame 12 and pivotally connected toa lower portion of a corresponding kingpin (not shown) at the other end.Each front wheel 14 is rotationally connected to its correspondingkingpin. Each upper A-arm 54 is disposed above its corresponding lowerA-arm 52. Each upper A-arm 54 is pivotally connected at one end to thefront portion 12A of the frame 12 and pivotally connected to an upperportion of its corresponding kingpin at the other end. A shock absorber56 is connected between the outer end of each upper A-arm 54 and thefront portion 12A of the frame 12. A sway bar (not shown) disposedrearwardly of the front suspensions 13A, is connected to both upperA-arms 54 to increase the roll stiffness of the suspensions 13A.

Each rear suspension 13B includes a swing arm (not shown) and a shockabsorber 58 (see FIG. 1). A lower end of each shock absorber 58 isconnected to its corresponding swing arm. From its corresponding swingarm, each shock absorber 58 extends upwardly and forwardly to connect tothe frame 12. A torsion bar (not shown) is operatively connected betweenboth swing arms to increase the roll stiffness of the suspensions 13B.

With reference to FIGS. 4 to 15, internal components and the cargo box11 of the vehicle 10 will be described in greater detail.

The electric motor 50 is mounted to the middle portion 12B of frame 12and is disposed between the right and the left seats 18. As can be seenin FIG. 9, the electric motor 50 is located laterally on the frame 12such that a vertical plane containing a longitudinal centerline 68 ofthe vehicle 10 passes through the electric motor 50. The electric motor50 is operatively connected to the four wheels 14 to power the RUV 10and selectively switches between driving two and four wheels 14, as willbe described in greater detail below. It is contemplated that theelectric motor 50 could be operatively connected only to the frontwheels 14 or only to the rear wheels 14. The electric motor 50 is athree-phase AC-induction motor having a rated voltage of 29 volts. It iscontemplated that other types of electric motors could be used, such asDC motors. The electric motor 50 will be described in greater detailbelow. The electric motor 50 is cooled by the air flowing inside thecentral cooling tunnel formed by the console 23 when the RUV 10 is inmotion. However, this flow of air may be insufficient to cool theelectric motor 50. For example, the air flow may be insufficient whenthe RUV 10 is operating at low speed or is at rest for example. For thisreason, a fan 60 (only shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 10) is disposed insidethe cooling tunnel forwardly of the electric motor 50 to create an airflow over the electric motor 50 when its temperature exceeds apredetermined temperature. The fan 60 is turned on and off based on asignal received from a temperature sensor 62 (schematically shown inFIG. 23) disposed inside the electric motor 50 to sense a temperature ofthe electric motor 50. It is contemplated that the fan could be omitted.

Power is supplied to the electric motor 50 by a plurality of batteries64A to 64L. The batteries 64A to 64L are 12 volt lead-acid orlithium-phosphate batteries. It is contemplated that other types ofbatteries could be used, such as other types of lithium batteries.

The battery 64A is mounted rearwardly of the electric motor 50 on abracket 66 of the frame 12. As can be seen in FIG. 9, the battery 64A islocated laterally on the frame 12 such that the vertical planecontaining the longitudinal centerline 68 of the vehicle 10 passesthrough the battery 64A. As can be seen in FIG. 10, the battery 64A isslanted rearwardly. Note that in FIG. 13, the battery 64A is shown intransparency such that components disposed under it can be seen.

The batteries 64B to 64D are supported by the middle portion of theframe 12B and are located under the passenger seat 18. As such thebatteries 64B to 64D are located on a right side of the electric motor50. As best seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, the batteries 64B to 64D aredisposed on the middle portion of the frame 12B such that they aremostly disposed between the front and rear ends of the electric motor 50in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. More specifically, thefront ends of all three batteries 64B to 64D are disposed between thefront and rear ends of the electric motor 50 in a longitudinal directionof the vehicle 10.

The batteries 64A to 64D are electrically connected together in seriesto form a first 48 volt battery pack.

The batteries 64E and 64F are mounted in the central cooling tunnelforwardly of the electric motor 50 on a member 70 (see FIG. 10) of theframe 12. The battery 64E is disposed longitudinally between the frontwheels 14 and the electric motor 50. As can be seen in FIG. 9, thebatteries 64E and 64F are located laterally on the frame 12 such thatthe vertical plane containing the longitudinal centerline 68 of thevehicle 10 passes through the batteries 64E and 64F.

The batteries 64G and 64H are supported by the middle portion of theframe 12B and are located under the driver seat 18. As such thebatteries 64G and 64H are located on a left side of the electric motor50. As can be best seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, the batteries 64G and 64Hare disposed on the middle portion of the frame 12B such that they aremostly disposed between the front and rear ends of the electric motor 50in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. More specifically, thefront ends of both batteries 64G and 64H are disposed between the frontand rear ends of the electric motor 50 in a longitudinal direction ofthe vehicle 10.

The batteries 64E to 64H are electrically connected together in seriesto form a second 48 volt battery pack.

The batteries 641 to 64L are disposed in the cargo box 11. As can beseen, the batteries 641 and 64J are disposed side-by-side near a frontof the cargo box 11 and the batteries 64L and 64K are disposedside-by-side behind the batteries 641 and 64J partially behind thewheels 14, 15. The cargo box 11 has a cargo box body 72. As best seen inFIGS. 11 and 12, the cargo box body 72 has a front wall 74, a pair ofside walls 76 extending rearwardly from the front wall 74, a lower floor78 connected to a lower end of the front and the pair of side walls 74,76, and an opened rear side. A bracket (not shown) is connected to abottom of the lower floor 78. The bracket pivotally connects the cargobox 11 to the frame 12C such that the cargo box 11 can pivot from theillustrated generally horizontal position to a pivoted position (notshown). By pivoting the cargo box 11, the contents of the cargo box 11(other than the batteries 641 to 64L) can easily be dumped on theground. A latch assembly (not shown) is used to lock the cargo box 11 inthe horizontal position. A user of the RUV 10 can release the latchassembly to allow the cargo box 11 to pivot. A pneumatic cylinder (notshown) connects the cargo box body 72 to the rear portion of the frame12C to prevent the cargo box 11 from pivoting too quickly between thehorizontal and the pivoted position. An upper floor 80 is selectivelysupported in the cargo box body 72 above the lower floor 78 adjacent thefront wall 74 and the pair of side walls 76. The upper floor 80 dividesthe opened rear side of the cargo box body 72 between a lower openedportion and an upper opened portion. The lower opened portion extendsfrom the lower floor 78 to the upper floor 80 and is selectively closedby a lower tailgate 82, thereby defining a lower cargo space 84. Theupper opened portion extends from the upper floor 80 to the upper end ofthe side walls 76 and is selectively closed by an upper tailgate 86,thereby defining an upper cargo space 88. It is contemplated that thelower and upper tailgates 82, 86 could be replaced by a single tailgateselectively closing both the lower and upper opened portions of thecargo box body 72. The batteries 641 to 64L are disposed in the lowercargo space 84. The batteries 641 to 64L are fastened to the lower floor78 by straps and/or brackets (not shown). As shown in FIG. 12, thebatteries 641 to 64L can be accessed by removing the upper floor 80and/or by opening the lower tailgate 82. International PatentPublication Number WO 2009/096973 A1, published Aug. 6, 2009, theentirety of which is incorporated herein by reference, describes variousembodiments of cargo boxes similar to the cargo box 11. It iscontemplated that the batteries 641 to 64L could be connected to therear portion 12C of the frame 12 under the cargo box 11. In such anembodiment, the batteries 641 to 64L do not pivot with the cargo box 11.Also, it is contemplated that in such an embodiment the cargo box 11could be thinner to accommodate the thickness of the batteries 641 to64L and as such may only have a single cargo space.

The batteries 641 to 64L are electrically connected together in seriesto form a third 48 volt battery pack. The batteries 641 to 64L areelectrically connected to the rest of the electrical system of the RUV10 via a pair of conductive studs 89 passing through the front of thecargo box 11. Insulating sleeves (not shown) are disposed around theconductive studs 89 to electrically insulate the cargo box from thestuds 89. It is contemplated that the batteries 641 to 64L could beomitted.

As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the geometric center of each of thebatteries 64B to 64D, 64G and 64H is located vertically below an outputshaft 90 of the electric motor 50, the axis of rotation of which isillustrated by line 92 in FIGS. 6 and 7. The batteries 64E, 64F and 64Ito 64L are disposed vertically above the output shaft 90. The geometriccenter of the battery 64A is located vertically above the output shaft90.

The three battery packs (i.e. batteries 64A to 64D, batteries 64E to64H, and batteries 641 to 64L) are electrically connected in parallel toa battery management system (BMS) 94. The BMS 94 is mounted to the frame12 above the batteries 64E, 64F and forwardly of the electric motor 50.The BMS 94 is electrically connected to a charger 96. It is contemplatedthat depending on the type of batteries being used, that the BMS 94could be omitted, in which case the batteries 64A to 64L would beelectrically connected in parallel to the charger 96. The charger 96 ismounted to the frame 12 above the batteries 64E, 64F and forwardly ofthe BMS 94. The three battery packs (i.e. batteries 64A to 64D,batteries 64E to 64H, and batteries 641 to 64L) are also electricallyconnected in parallel to a relay (or contactor) 98 disposed in thecentral cooling tunnel. The relay 98 is electrically connected to amotor control module (MCM) 100. The MCM 100 is electrically connected tothe electric motor 50 and to a vehicle control module (VCM) 102. Asshown in FIG. 10, the MCM 100 and the VCM 102 are mounted on top of eachother in the central cooling tunnel above and rearwardly of the electricmotor 50. The BMS 94, the charger 96, the MCM 100 and the VCM 102 andtheir respective functions will be described in greater detail belowwith respect to FIG. 26.

It is contemplated that an arrangement of batteries and of components ofthe electrical system of the RUV 10 could differ from the one describedabove. FIGS. 17 to 21 illustrate one such alternative arrangement ofbatteries and of components of the electrical system in an RUV 10′. Forsimplicity, elements of the RUV 10′ shown in FIGS. 17 to 21 which arethe same or similar to the ones described above and further below withrespect to the RUV 10′, have been labeled with the same referencenumerals and will not be described again in detail.

In the RUV 10′ illustrated in FIGS. 17 to 21, the batteries 64A to 64Dare disposed in the same location as in the RUV 10 described above andare electrically connected together in series. The battery 64E is in thecentral cooling tunnel at a position closer to the front of the RUV 10′than the position of the battery 64E in the RUV 10 described above. Thebattery 64E is also slightly slanted in the RUV 10′ as can be seen inFIG. 21. As can be seen in FIG. 21, when viewed from the right side ofthe RUV 10′, the battery 64E overlaps the steering column 105. Thebattery 64F is disposed at the front of the RUV 10′ and is slanted ascan be seen in FIG. 21. The geometric center of the battery 64F isdisposed forwardly of the front drive axles 172. The batteries 64E and64F are located laterally such that the vertical plane containing thelongitudinal centerline of the RUV 10′ passes through the batteries 64Eand 64F. The batteries 64G and 64H are disposed in the same location asin the RUV 10 described above. The batteries 64E to 64H are electricallyconnected together in series. As can be seen in FIG. 18, in the RUV 10′the batteries 641 to 64L are disposed in the lower cargo space 84 of thecargo box 11. The batteries 641 to 64K are disposed side-by-side nearthe front of the cargo box 11, with the battery 641 being on the left,the battery 64K being on the right and the battery 64J laterally betweenthe batteries 641 and 64K. The battery 64L is disposed behind thebatteries 641 to 64K and is generally laterally centered with respect tothe batteries 641 to 64K. The battery 64L is also orientedperpendicularly relative to the batteries 641 to 64K. The batteries 641to 64K are electrically connected together in series.

Positioning the batteries 64E and 64F as shown in FIGS. 17 to 21 createsa space that accommodates a power steering unit 103. As best seen inFIG. 21, the power steering unit 103 is disposed rearwardly of thebattery 64F and forwardly of the geometric center of the battery 64E. Asbest seen in FIG. 20, the power steering unit 103 is located laterallysuch that the vertical plane containing the longitudinal centerline ofthe RUV 10′ passes through the power steering unit 103. The powersteering unit 103 is connected to the steering wheel of the steeringdevice 16 via the steering column 105. Steering rods (not shown) connectthe power steering unit 103 to the two front wheels 14 so as to transferthe steering motion from the steering device 16 to the two front wheels14. The power steering unit 103 is an electrical power steering unit103, but other types, such as hydraulic power steering units forexample, are contemplated.

In the RUV 10′, the three battery packs (i.e. batteries 64A to 64D,batteries 64E to 64H, and batteries 641 to 64L) are electricallyconnected in parallel to the BMS 94. The BMS 94 is mounted to the frame12 above the battery 64E and forwardly of the electric motor 50. The BMS94 is electrically connected to the charger 96. The charger 96 ismounted to the frame 12 above the battery 64F and forwardly of the BMS94. The three battery packs (i.e. batteries 64A to 64D, batteries 64E to64H, and batteries 641 to 64L) are also electrically connected inparallel to the relay 98 disposed in the central cooling tunnelforwardly of the electric motor 50 and behind the battery 64E. The relay98 is electrically connected to the MCM 100. The MCM 100 is electricallyconnected to the electric motor 50 and to the VCM 102. As shown in FIGS.19 to 21, the MCM 100 is mounted in the central cooling tunnel above andto the right of the electric motor 50, behind the battery 64E and belowthe relay 98. The geometric center of the MCM 100 is disposed forwardlyof the electric motor 50. As shown in FIGS. 19 to 21, the VCM 102 isdisposed on the left side of the RUV 10′ forwardly and vertically higherthan the electric motor 50 and longitudinally between the charger 96 andthe MCM 100. The VCM 102 is disposed forwardly of the steering wheel ofthe steering device 16.

FIGS. 13 to 15 and 22 to 29 will now be described with respect to theRUV 10. Except where specifically indicated below, this description alsoapplies to the RUV 10′ illustrated in FIGS. 17 to 21.

Turning now to FIGS. 22 and 23, the electric motor 50, an associatedparking brake 104 and an associated reduction drive 106 will bedescribed. As described above, the electric motor 50 is a three-phaseAC-induction motor having a rated voltage of 29 volts. The electricmotor 50 has a motor casing 108. A fixed stator 110 is disposed insidethe casing 108. The stator 108 defines four poles. Each of the fourpoles has three salient poles (one per phase) with wires wound aroundthem. A rotor 112 is disposed inside the stator 110. The rotor 112 has anumber of wire windings. A rotor shaft 114 is connected to the rotor 112for rotation therewith. To turn the rotor 112, and therefore the rotorshaft 114, current is applied to the windings of the stator 110 tocreate a rotating magnetic field. The rotating magnetic field induces acurrent in the windings of the rotor 112, which as a result generates amagnetic field. The interaction between the magnetic field of the stator110 and the magnetic field of the rotor 112 causes the rotor 112 toturn. A difference in the speed of rotation of the magnetic fieldgenerated by the stator 110 and the speed of rotation of the rotor 112is known as slip. By controlling a magnitude and frequency of thecurrent applied to the windings of the stator 110 and by controlling theamount of slip, it is possible to control a speed of rotation of therotor shaft 114 and the amount of torque generated by the electric motor50. A motor speed sensor 115, schematically shown in FIG. 23, senses aspeed of rotation of the rotor shaft 114. The output shaft 90 is coaxialwith the rotor shaft 114. The output shaft 90 is connected to the rotorshaft 114 by a coupling 116 such that the output shaft 90 rotates at thesame speed as the rotor shaft 114. As such, it is contemplated that themotor speed sensor 115 could sense a speed of rotation of the outputshaft 90. It is contemplated that the output shaft 90 could beintegrally formed with the rotor shaft 114.

As seen in FIG. 23, the output shaft 90 extends through a housing 118 ofthe reduction drive 106. The housing 118 of the reduction drive 106 isfastened to the motor casing 108 on a rear side of the electric motor50. The output shaft 90 is rotationally supported in the housing 118 bybearing 120. The output shaft 90 has a gear 122 formed thereon that isdisposed between the bearings 120. It is contemplated that the gear 122could be formed independently of the output shaft 90 and be connected tothe output shaft 90 via splines for example. The gear 122 of the outputshaft 90 drives a plurality of gears 124 disposed inside the housing118, some of which are shown in FIG. 23. The gear 122 and the gears 124interact such that a speed of rotation at an output of the reductiondrive 106 is less than a speed of rotation of the output shaft 90. Sincethe speed reduction ratio provided by the reduction drive 106 is fixed,it is contemplated that the motor speed sensor 115 could sense a speedof rotation of any one of the shafts onto which the gears 124 aremounted in order to determine a speed of rotation of the rotor shaft114. It is contemplated that the reduction drive 106 could provide avariable speed reduction ratio. As can be seen in FIG. 22, two reductiondrive shafts 126, 128 extend from the lower portion of the housing 118.The rear shaft 126 is permanently connected to the last gear of thereduction drive 106 and as such always rotates when the rotor shaft 114is turning. The front shaft 128 is selectively connected to the lastgear of the reduction drive 106 and as such only rotates when it isconnected to this last gear and the rotor shaft 114 is turning. Atwo-wheel drive/four-wheel drive (2WD/4WD) selector 130 disposed in thehousing 118 of the reduction drive 106 connects and disconnects thefront shaft 128 from the gears 124 of the reduction drive 106. The2WD/4WD selector 130 is an electric actuator having two positions. Inone position, the shaft 128 is disconnected, and in the other position,the shaft 128 is connected to the drive shaft 126. The position of the2WD/4WD selector 130 is controlled by a 2WD/4WD switch 132 (FIG. 26)located in the cockpit area 22 that is manually actuated by the driverof the vehicle 10. As will be described below, under some conditions,the VCM 102 can send a signal to the 2WD/4WD selector 130 overriding asignal from the 2WD/4WD switch 132 to move the 2WD/4WD selector 130 to aposition other than the one selected by the 2WD/4WD switch 132.

The parking brake 104 is mounted on the portion of the output shaft 90that extends outside of the housing 118 of the reduction drive 106. Assuch, and as can be seen, the parking brake 104 is disposed rearwardlyof the electric motor 50. The parking brake 104 is a disk brake assemblyincluding a brake disk 134 and a brake caliper 136. The brake disk 134is connected to the output shaft 90 so as to be rotationally fixedthereon. Therefore, the brake disk 134 rotates with the output shaft 90and when the parking brake 104 is engaged, the parking brake 104prevents the rotor shaft 114 and any one of the wheels 14 operativelyconnected to the electric motor 50 from turning. The brake caliper 136is connected to a rotatable lever 138. The lever 138 is connected to acable 140, schematically shown in FIG. 22. The cable 140 is connected toa cam (not shown) driven by an electric motor 142, schematically shownin FIG. 22, and shown in FIG. 21. By having the motor 142 turn the camin a first direction, the cable 140 pulls on the lever 138. Pulling onthe lever 138 causes the brake caliper 136 to clamp the brake disk 134thus engaging the parking brake 104 by preventing rotation of the brakedisk 134. A parking brake switch 144 (schematically shown) associatedwith the cam, senses a position of the cam to determine if the parkingbrake 104 is disengaged. It is contemplated that other types of parkingbrakes could be used.

FIGS. 24 and 25 illustrate an electric motor 50′ that is an alternativeembodiment of the electric motor 50 which can be used in the RUV 10 andthe RUV 10′. The electric motor 50′ is a three-phase AC-induction motorhaving a rated voltage of 29 volts like the electric motor 50, but theparking brake 104′ is mounted on the rear shaft 126 of the reductiondrive 106′ instead of on the output shaft 90 as in the electric motor50. For simplicity, elements of the electric motor 50′ that are similarto those of the electric motor 50 have been labeled with the samereference numeral and will not be described again in detail.

The reduction drive 106′ of the electric motor 50′ is the same as thereduction drive 106 of the electric motor 50 except that the housing118′ of the reduction drive 106′ is not provided with an aperture near atop thereof since in the electric motor 50′ the output shaft 90 does notprotrude through the housing 118′ as can be seen in FIG. 25. The parkingbrake 104′ is mounted to the portion of the rear shaft 126 that extendsoutside of the housing 118′ of the reduction drive 106′. As such, and ascan be seen, the parking brake 104′ is disposed rearwardly of theelectric motor 50′. The parking brake 104′ is a disk brake assemblyincluding a brake disk 134′ and a brake caliper 136′. The brake disk134′ is connected to the rear shaft 126 so as to be rotationally fixedthereon. Therefore, the brake disk 134′ rotates with the rear shaft 126and when the parking brake 104′ is engaged, the parking brake 104′prevents the rotor shaft 114 and any one of the wheels 14 operativelyconnected to the electric motor 50′ from turning. The brake caliper 136′is connected to a rotatable lever 138′. The lever 138′ is connected to acable 140. The cable 140 is connected to a wheel 141 driven by anelectric motor 142. By having the motor 142 turn the wheel 141 in afirst direction, the cable 140 pulls on the lever 138′. Pulling on thelever 138′ causes the brake caliper 136′ to clamp the brake disk 134′thus engaging the parking brake 104′ by preventing rotation of the brakedisk 134′. As can be seen, the universal joint 148 is fastened to thebrake disk 134′.

The electric motor 50′ is provided with three motor mounts 143 toconnect the electric motor 50′ to the frame 12. It is contemplated thatonly two or more than three motor mounts 143 could be provided. Two ofthe motor mounts 143 are disposed at the front of the electric motor 50′and one of the motor mounts 143 is disposed at the rear of the electricmotor 50′. The bracket 145 connecting the rear motor mount 143 to therear of the electric motor 50′ also houses the upper portion of thelever 138′, a portion of the cable 140 and the connection therebetween.The bracket 147 connecting the front motor mounts 143 to the front ofthe electric motor 50′ defines a semi-circular recess 149 to permit thepassage of the front driveshaft 162. The motor mounts 143 are rubberdampers that reduce the transmission of vibration between the electricmotor 50′ and the frame 12. Although not shown, the electric motor 50 isalso provided with three motor mounts similar to the ones of theelectric motor 50. However, the position of the rear motor mount of theelectric motor 50 differs from the position of the rear motor mount 143of the electric motor 50′ so as not to interfere with the parking brake104 of the electric motor 50.

With reference to FIGS. 13 to 15, the power train of the vehicle 10 willnow be described.

A rear driveshaft 146 connects to and is driven by the rear shaft 126 ofthe reduction drive 106 via a universal joint 148. As such, the reardriveshaft 146 is always driven by the electric motor 50 when theelectric motor 50 is operating. From the universal joint 148, the reardriveshaft 136 extends rearwardly and toward the left of the vehicle 10to another universal joint 150. The universal joint 150 connects therear driveshaft 146 to a rear gear assembly 152, described in greaterdetail below. The rear gear assembly 152 connects, via universal jointsdisposed inside flexible boots 154, to left and right rear drive axles156. The rear drive axles 156 are connected to spindles 158 of the rearwheels 14 via universal or constant velocity joints disposed insideflexible boots 160.

A front driveshaft 162 connects to and is driven by the front shaft 128of the reduction drive via a universal joint 164. As such, the frontdriveshaft 162 is only driven by the electric motor 50 when the electricmotor 50 is operating and when the 2WD/4WD selector 130 connects theshaft 128 to the gears 124 of the reduction drive 106. From theuniversal joint 164, the front driveshaft 162 extends forwardly andtoward the right of the vehicle 10 to another universal joint 166. Theuniversal joint 166 connects the front driveshaft 162 to a front gearassembly 168, described in greater detail below. The front gear assembly168 connects, via universal joints disposed inside flexible boots 170,to left and right front drive axles 172. The front drive axles 172 areconnected to spindles 174 of the front wheels 14 via universal orconstant velocity joints disposed inside flexible boots 176.

Turning now to FIG. 16, the rear gear assembly 152 will be described.The rear gear assembly 152 has a rear gear assembly housing 178. As canbe seen in FIG. 15, the rear portion of the battery 64A is verticallyabove the housing 178 and is longitudinally between the front and rearends of the housing 178. Inside the housing 178, two bevel gears (notshown) engage each other to transmit the rotation of the universal joint150 to one of the rear drive axles 156. The bevel gears are selectedsuch that a speed of rotation of this rear drive axle 156 is less than aspeed of rotation of the universal joint 150. As such, this rear driveaxle 156 and its associated wheel 14 is always driven by the electricmotor 50 when the electric motor 50 is operating. The other rear driveaxle 156 is selectively connected to the above rear drive axle 156 by arear axles lock actuator 180. When the rear drive axles 156 areconnected together by the rear axles lock actuator 180, both rear driveaxles 156 rotate together at the same speed. When the rear drive axles156 are disconnected from each other by the rear axles lock actuator180, the rear drive axles 156 rotate independently from each other. Therear axles lock actuator 180 is controlled by a rear axles lock switch182 (FIG. 26) located in the cockpit area 22 that is manually actuatedby the driver of the vehicle 10. As will be described below, under someconditions, the VCM 102 can send a signal to the rear axles lockactuator 180 overriding a signal from the rear axles lock switch 182 tomove the rear axles lock actuator 180 to a position other than the oneselected by the rear axles lock switch 182. The rear axles lock actuator180 is normally biased toward a position connecting the rear drive axles156 together. Therefore, when no current is applied to the rear axleslock actuator 180, such as when the vehicle 10 is shut down, the reardrive axles 156 are connected to each other. It is contemplated that therear gear assembly 152 could be a locking differential.

The front gear assembly 168 is similar to the rear gear assembly 152.The front gear assembly 168 has a front gear assembly housing 184. Ascan be seen in FIG. 15, the battery 64E is vertically above the housing184 and is longitudinally between the electric motor 50 and the housing184. Inside the housing 184, two bevel gears (not shown) engage eachother to transmit the rotation of the universal joint 166 to one of thefront drive axles 172. The bevel gears are selected such that a speed ofrotation of this front drive axle 172 is less than a speed of rotationof the universal joint 166. The other front drive axle 172 isselectively connected to the above front drive axle 172 by a front axleslock actuator 186. When the front drive axles 172 are connected togetherby the front axles lock actuator 186, both front drive axles 172 rotatetogether at the same speed. When the front drive axles 172 aredisconnected from each other by the front axles lock actuator 186, thefront drive axles 172 rotate independently from each other. The frontaxles lock actuator 186 is controlled by a front axles lock switch 188(FIG. 26) located in the cockpit area 22 that is manually actuated bythe driver of the vehicle 10. As will be described below, under someconditions, the VCM 102 can send a signal to the front axles lockactuator 186 overriding a signal from the front axles lock switch 188 tomove the front axles lock actuator 186 to a position other than the oneselected by the front axles lock switch 188. The front axles lockactuator 186 is normally biased toward a position connecting the frontdrive axles 172 together. Therefore, when no current is applied to thefront axles lock actuator 186, such as when the vehicle 10 is shut down,the front drive axles 172 are connected to each other. It iscontemplated that the front gear assembly 152 could be a lockingdifferential.

It is contemplated that the front axle lock switch 188 could be omittedand that the front axles lock actuator 186 could instead be controlledby a position of the 2WD/4WD switch 132. In such an embodiment, when the2WD/4WD switch 132 is at a position where the front driveshaft 162 isnot driven by the electric motor 50, the front axles lock actuator 186disconnects the front drive axles 172 from each other and when the2WD/4WD switch 132 is at a position where the front driveshaft 162 isdriven by the electric motor 50, the front axles lock actuator 186connects the front drive axles 172 together. It is also contemplatedthat the rear and front axles lock switches 182, 188 could be replacedby a single three-position switch. In a first position, all drive axles156, 172 are disconnected from each other. In a second position, onlythe rear drive axles 156 are connected to each other. In a thirdposition, the rear drive axles 156 are connected to each other and thefront drive axles 172 are connected to each other.

The RUV 10′ is not provided with a front axles lock actuator 186 andtherefore is also not provided with a front axles lock switch 188. Assuch, in the RUV 10′ the front drive axles 172 are always disconnectedfrom each other and therefore always rotate independently from eachother. It is contemplated that the actuator 186 and switch 188 could beprovided in the RUV 10′.

Turning now to FIG. 26, the electrical system of the RUV 10 will bedescribed in greater detail. The batteries 64A to 64L are charged byplugging the charger 96 to a 120 volt AC source. The charger 96 includesan AC to DC converter to convert the 120 volt alternative current to a48 volt direct current corresponding to the voltage of each battery pack(four batteries of 12 volt each). The 48 volt DC is routed to the BMS94, which monitors the status of each battery pack and supplies the 48volt DC to the battery packs to be charged. The charger 96 includes aninterlock (not shown) that causes the relay 98 to be opened when thecharger 96 is plugged to a 120 volt AC source, thus preventing currentto be sent to the MCM 100, the electric motor 50 and other componentselectrically downstream of the relay 98, and therefore preventing theRUV 10 to be driven when the charger 96 is plugged. Although not shown,the charger 96 is also electrically connected to the various sensors,the VCM 102, and other low voltage electrical components to supply themwith power from the battery packs. To do this, the charger 96 includes aDC to DC converter that reduces the 48 volt DC from the battery packs tothe 13.5 volt DC used by these components.

In addition to the previously described sensors, the RUV 10 is alsoprovided with a key sensor 190 and a shifter position sensor 192. Thekey sensor 190 senses whether a key is present or not to determine ifthe vehicle 10 should be started up or shut down. The vehicle 10 can bestarted up upon detection of the presence of a key, or can be started upupon the actuation of a starter switch when the presence of a key isdetected. In one embodiment, the key and key sensor 190 employBombardier Recreational Products Inc.'s D.E.S.S.™ technology. As aresult, the key sensor 190 not only senses if the key used is authorizedfor starting up the vehicle 10, but can also read information from thekey as to any operational limitations of the vehicle 10 (i.e. maximumspeed and/or acceleration) associated with the key. It is contemplatedthat the key sensor 190 could be replaced with a mechanical key assemblythat acts as a switch to close a circuit when the key is turned. Theshifter position sensor 192 senses a position of the shifter 46 as willbe described in greater detail below.

In addition to the previously described switches, the RUV 10 is alsoprovided with an economy mode switch 194. As will be described ingreater detail below, when the economy mode switch 194 is activated, themaximum speed of the vehicle 10 and the maximum torque provided by theelectric motor 50 are limited in order to improve the energy consumptionefficiency of the vehicle 10.

The VCM 102 receives signals from the various sensors and switchesillustrated on the left side of FIG. 26 and uses these to operate thevehicle 10 accordingly. For example, the VCM 102 sends a signal to the2WD/4WD selector 130 to move it to the position selected at the 2WD/4WDswitch. In another example, the VCM 102 uses a signal from the parkingbrake switch 144 to determine if the parking brake 104 is disengaged.

The VCM 102 uses a signal from the motor speed sensor 115 to determine aspeed of the vehicle 10. Since the gear reduction ratio from the rotorshaft 114 to the powered wheel(s) 14 of the vehicle 10 is fixed, thereis a linear relationship between the speed of rotation of the rotorshaft 114 and the speed of the vehicle 10. The VCM 102 sends a signal toa speed gauge 196 disposed in the cockpit area 22. The speed gauge 196displays the speed of the vehicle 10 to the driver. The speed gauge 196also displays other information related to the RUV 10 to the driver.

The VCM 102 uses signals from the pedal position sensor 28, the shifterposition sensor 192, the motor speed sensor 115 and the economy modeswitch 194 to determine a speed at which the electric motor 50 shouldturn the rotor shaft 114 and the rate at which it should accelerate tothis speed. The signal from the pedal position sensor 28 indicates tothe VCM 102 the speed at which the driver wants the vehicle 10 to go.From the signal from the shifter position sensor 192 the VCM 102determines if the electric motor 50 should be running or not, and if soin which direction it should turn the rotor shaft 114 and if anylimitation on the speed, acceleration and torque should be applied aswill be described in greater detail below. The signal from the motorspeed sensor 115 is sent to the MCM 100. The MCM 100 determines thespeed of the electric motor 50 based on this signal and sends a signalindicative of this speed to the VCM 102 which uses it as a feedback todetermine if the electric motor 50 is operating as desired. The signalfrom the economy mode switch 104 indicates to the VCM 102 if an economymode of operation of the electric motor 50 should be engaged asdescribed in greater detail below. Based on these signals, the VCM 102sends a signal to the MCM 100 as to the desired operation of theelectric motor 50.

From the signal of the VCM 102, the MCM 100 determines the magnitude andfrequency of the current to be supplied to the electric motor 50. TheMCM 100 then generates this three-phase current from the batteries 64Ato 64L and supplies it to the windings of the stator 110 to cause therotor shaft 114 to turn.

When the vehicle 10 is in movement and the driver releases theaccelerator pedal 20 completely, the MCM 100 stops supplying current tothe windings of the stator 110.

However, since the vehicle 10 is in movement, the rotor shaft 114continues to turn due to its connection to at least one of the wheels14. The rotor 112 therefore also continues to turn. By generating amagnetic field in the windings of the rotor 112, the rotation of therotor 112 induces a current in the windings of the stator 110. Thiscurrent is supplied to the batteries 64A to 64L to charge the batteries64A to 64L. This is known as regeneration of the batteries 64A to 64L or“regen”. It is contemplated that at least some of the wheels 14 could beprovided with regenerative braking systems that also produce a currentthat can be used to recharge the batteries 64A to 64L when the brakesare applied.

In another embodiment, when the vehicle 10 is in movement and the driverreleases the accelerator pedal 20 completely, the MCM 100 stopssupplying current to the windings of the stator 110, the rotor shaft 114continues to turn due to its connection to at least one of the wheels14, the rotor 112 continues to turn thus generating a magnetic field asdescribed above. However, instead of being controlled so as to maximizeregen as in the embodiment above, the VCM 102 commands the output signalof the MCM 100 to control the electric motor 50 to create a resistanceto the rotation of the rotor shaft 114, thus decelerating the vehicle10. This can be referred to as motor braking. In this embodiment, theMCM 100 is not taking any action on when or how to apply the motorbraking or regen, it is simply a slave to the VCM 102 and does theactions commanded by the VCM 102. Although some regen will occur, thecontrol of the electric motor 50 is primarily based on obtaining thisdeceleration. It is also contemplated that the MCM 100 could itselfdecide to apply motor braking or regen at the same time as the VCM 102commands the MCM 100 to apply motor braking and thus, the electric motor50 would be required to create the sum of both commands.

In one example, the amount of motor braking applied by the electricmotor 50 when the accelerator pedal 20 is completely released is basedon the signal from the shifter position sensor 192. If the VCM 102receives a signal from the shifter position sensor 192 that indicatesthat the shifter 46 is in a high position (described below), then theelectric motor 50 applies a first amount of motor braking. If the VCM102 receives a signal from the shifter position sensor 192 thatindicates that the shifter 46 is in a low position (described below),then the electric motor 50 applies a second amount of motor braking thatis greater than the first amount of motor braking. If the economy modeswitch 194 is activated, regardless of whether the shifter 46 is in thehigh or low position, then the electric motor 50 applies a third amountof motor braking that is intermediate the first and second amounts ofmotor braking. It is contemplated that the first, second and thirdamounts of motor braking could vary based on one or more of vehiclespeed, motor speed, motor temperature and battery voltage. It is alsocontemplated that, the amount of motor braking could be based only onone or more of vehicle speed, motor speed, motor temperature and batteryvoltage independently of the position of the shifter 46. It is alsocontemplated that if the VCM 102 receives a signal indicating that thebrake pedal has been depressed, the amount of motor braking could beincreased by a set amount depending on the position of the shifter 46 orincreased progressively based on the actual position of the brake pedal.

The MCM 100 sends information regarding the battery current to the VCM102. The VCM 102 calculates the current battery power consumption orregeneration, as the case may be. A signal representative of the currentbattery power consumption or regeneration, as the case may be, is sentfrom the VCM 102 to a power consumption gauge 198 disposed in thecockpit area 22. The power consumption gauge 198 displays the currentbattery power consumption or regeneration to the driver. It iscontemplated that this signal could also be provided by the MCM 100 orthe BMS 94. The power consumption gauge 198 also receives a signal fromthe BMS 94 indicative of the charge level of the batteries 64A to 64L.The power consumption gauge 198 displays the current charge level of thebatteries 64A to 64L.

The various signals to and from the BMS 94, MCM 100, and VCM 102 aresent and received via controlled area network (CAN) buses. It iscontemplated that other types of communication networks could be used,such as, but not limited to, vehicle area network (VAN), localinterconnect network (LIN) and FlexRay.

A shutdown sequence of the RUV 10 will now be described. The shutdownsequence for the RUV 10′ is the same as the one described below exceptthat the front drive axles 172 always remain disconnected from eachother since, as discussed above, the RUV 10′ is not provided with afront axles lock actuator 186. This shutdown sequence occurs as soon asthe key sensor 190 indicates that the key of the vehicle 10 has beenremoved. In alternative embodiments, the shutdown sequence could occurwhen the key is moved to an “off” position or when a “vehicle off”switch is activated. The shutdown sequence overrides any signal sent bythe sensors and switches illustrated on the left side of FIG. 26,including the shifter position sensor 192. The shutdown sequence isconsidered to be entirely automatic as no action from the driver isnecessary once the key has been removed. When the VCM 102 receives asignal from the key sensor 190 that the key has been removed, the VCM102 sends a signal to the MCM 100 to stop supplying current to theelectric motor 50 in order to interrupt the operation of the electricmotor 50. The VCM 102 then sends a signal to the 2WD/4WD selector 130 toconnect the front shaft 128, and therefore the front driveshaft 162, tothe electric motor 50 via the reduction drive 106. The VCM 102 thenstops supplying power to the rear and front axles lock actuators 180,186, thus returning them to their default positions. As a result, therear drive axles 156 are connected together and the front drive axles172 are connected together. When the speed of the RUV 10 is below apredetermined speed, the VCM 102 finally sends a signal to the parkingbrake actuator 142 to engage the parking brake 104. The VCM 102determines that the parking brake 104 has been engaged when the currentused by the parking brake actuator 142 reaches a predetermined current.In one embodiment, the VCM 102 waits for a predetermined, non-zero,amount of time from the interrupted operation of the electric motor 50,two seconds for example, prior to sending the signal to engage theparking brake 104.

Upon start-up, when the key sensor 190 determines that a key is present,the VCM 102 moves the 2WD/4WD selector 130, the rear and front axleslock actuators 180, 186, and the parking brake actuator 142 to positionscorresponding to that matching the signals received from the sensors andswitches illustrated on the left side of FIG. 26 prior to resumingoperation of the electric motor 50. As would be understood, in the RUV10′ the VCM 102 does not control the position of the front axles lockactuator 186 as the RUV 10′ is not provided with the actuator 186.

Turning to FIGS. 27 to 29, the shifter 46 will now be described in moredetail. The shifter 46 includes a knob 200 mounted on the end of a lever202. The lever 202 is connected to a shaft 204 via a bracket 206. Theshaft 204 is pivotally connected to a bracket 208 so as to pivot aboutan axis 210. The axis 210 is generally parallel to the longitudinalcenterline 68 of the vehicle 10. The bracket 208 is integrally formedwith a cylindrical body 212. The cylindrical body 212 is pivotallyconnected inside a housing 214 so as to pivot about an axis 216. Theaxis 216 is generally perpendicular to the axis 210 and to a verticalplane containing the longitudinal centerline 68 of the vehicle 10. Thehousing 214 is mounted to one side of a bracket 218. The shifterposition sensor 192 is mounted to the other side of the bracket 218. Thebracket 218 connects the shifter 46 to the console 23.

The lever 202 extends through and is received in a slot 220 defined in ashifter plate 222 (FIG. 29). The slot 220 defines a shift pattern of theshifter 46. As can be seen, the slot 220 defines a plurality of discreteshifter positions (P, R, N, H, L). It is contemplated that the slot 220could define more or less positions than illustrated. The shift patternis the path that the lever 202 must follow to go from one shifterposition to the other. The lever 202 can follow this path since it ispivotable about the two axes 210 and 216. A spring, not shown, connectedbetween the lower end of the shaft 204 and the cylindrical body 212biases the lever 202 toward the left of the slot 220, thus facilitatingthe engagement of the lever in the shifter positions. In FIG. 29, thelever is shown in the neutral (N) position.

The shifter position sensor 192 senses the angular position of thecylindrical body 212 in the housing 214 and sends a shifter positionsignal representative of this angular position to the VCM 102. Based onthis angular position, the VCM 102 can determine in which of thediscrete shifter positions the lever 202 is located and uses thisinformation to control the vehicle 10 as indicated below.

When the VCM 102 determines that the lever 202 is in the park (P)position, and that the vehicle 10 is not in movement or at least below apredetermined vehicle speed, the VCM 102 sends a signal to the MCM 100to stop supplying current to the electric motor 50 in order to interruptthe operation of the electric motor 50. The VCM 102 then sends a signalto the parking brake actuator 142 to engage the parking brake 104. Inone embodiment, the VCM 102 waits for a predetermined, non-zero, amountof time from the interrupted operation of the electric motor 50, twoseconds for example, prior to sending the signal to engage the parkingbrake 104.

When the VCM 102 determines that the lever 202 is in the park (P)position, and that the vehicle 10 is in movement above a predeterminedvehicle speed the VCM 102 sends a signal to the MCM 100 to stopsupplying current to the electric motor 50 in order to interrupt theoperation of the electric motor 50. The VCM 102 then sends a signal tothe 2WD/4WD selector 130 to disconnect the front shaft 128, andtherefore the front driveshaft 162, from the electric motor 50. The VCM102 then supplies power to the rear axle lock actuator 180 and, ifapplicable, to the front axle lock actuator 186 such the rear driveaxles 156 are disconnected from each other and, if applicable, the frontdrive axles 172 are disconnected from each other. The electric motor 102is then controlled to apply a high amount of motor braking as describedabove. In one example, the high amount of motor braking corresponds tothe first amount of motor braking described above when the acceleratorpedal 20 is completely released and the shifter is in the high (H)position. This causes the vehicle 10 to decelerate. Once the vehicle 10is below a first predetermined speed, the VCM 102 sends a signal to theparking brake actuator 142 to engage the parking brake 104, thus causingfurther deceleration. Once the vehicle 10 is below a secondpredetermined speed that is lower than the first predetermined speed,the VCM 102 then stops supplying power to the rear axle lock actuator180 and, if applicable, to the front axle lock actuator 186 such therear drive axles 156 are connected to each other and, if applicable, thefront drive axles 172 are connected to each other. Throughout the abovesteps associated with putting the shifter in the park (P) position whilethe vehicle 10 is in movement, signals from the pedal position sensor 28are ignored by the VCM 102.

When the VCM 102 determines that the lever 202 is in any position otherthan the park position, the VCM 102 then sends a signal to the parkingbrake actuator 142 to disengage the parking brake 104.

When the VCM 102 determines that the lever 202 is in the reverse (R)position, the VCM 102 sends a signal to the MCM 100 to control anoperation of the electric motor 50 such that the output shaft 90 turnsin a direction that causes the vehicle 10 to move rearward. The signalfrom the pedal position sensor 28 determines the speed at which theoutput shaft 90 is to be turned. The position of the switches 132, 182and 188 determine which of the wheels 14 are driven by the electricmotor 50 and if the drive axles 156, 172 rotate together orindependently of each other. It is contemplated that the VCM 102 couldalso stop supplying power to the front axles lock actuator 186 such thatthe front drive axles 172 are connected together regardless of theposition of the front axles lock switch 188. As would be understood, inthe RUV 10′, the VCM 102 does not control the position of the frontaxles lock actuator 186 as the RUV 10′ is not provided with the actuator186.

When the VCM 102 determines that the lever 202 is in the neutral (N)position, the VCM 102 sends a signal to the MCM 100 to stop supplyingcurrent to the electric motor 50 in order to interrupt the operation ofthe electric motor 50. The VCM 102 then sends a signal to the 2WD/4WDselector 130 to disconnect the front shaft 128, and therefore the frontdriveshaft 162, from the electric motor 50. The VCM 102 then suppliespower to the rear and front axles lock actuators 180, 186 such the reardrive axles 156 are disconnected from each other and the front driveaxles 172 are disconnected from each other. As would be understood, inthe RUV 10′, the VCM 102 does not control the position of the frontaxles lock actuator 186 as the RUV 10′ is not provided with the actuator186.

When the VCM 102 determines that the lever 202 is in the high (H) or low(L) position, the VCM 102 sends a signal to the MCM 100 to control anoperation of the electric motor 50 such that the output shaft 90 turnsin a direction that causes the vehicle 10 to move forward. As would beunderstood, this direction of rotation is opposite the direction ofrotation when the lever 202 is in the reverse position. The VCM 10 alsosends a signal to the MCM 100 to control the electric motor 50 in acorresponding one of a high mode and a low mode. The position of theswitches 132, 182 and 188 determine which of the wheels 14 are driven bythe electric motor 50 and if the drive axles 156, 172 rotate together orindependently of each other. It is contemplated that the VCM 102 couldalso supply power to the front axles lock actuator 186 when the lever202 is in the high position such that the front drive axles 172 aredisconnected from each other regardless of the position of the frontaxles lock switch 188. As would be understood, in the RUV 10′, the VCM102 does not control the position of the front axles lock actuator 186as the RUV 10′ is not provided with the actuator 186. The signal fromthe pedal position sensor 28 determines the speed at which the outputshaft 90 is to be turned. When the lever 202 is in the high position,the MCM 100 controls the electric motor 50 based on signals from the VCM102 in a high mode where the speed of the vehicle 10 is limited to aspeed V1 and the torque that can be generated by the electric motor 50is limited to a torque T1, thereby limiting the acceleration of thevehicle 10. When the lever 202 is in the low position, the MCM 100controls the electric motor 50 based on signals from the VCM 102 in alow mode where the speed of the vehicle 10 is limited to a speed V2,that is less than V1, and the torque that can be generated by theelectric motor 50 is limited to a torque T2, that is greater than T1,thereby limiting the acceleration of the vehicle 10. In one example, V1is the speed of the vehicle 10 resulting from the maximum speed ofrotation of the output shaft 90 set by the manufacturer of the vehicle10 while operating the vehicle 10 on level ground, V2 is about 40percent of V1, T2 is the maximum torque set by the manufacturer of thevehicle 10, and T1 is about 80 percent of T2.

When the economy mode switch 194 is activated, the VCM 102 commands theMCM 100 to operate the electric motor 50 in a manner that partiallyoverrides the operation corresponding to the high and low positions. Inthe economy mode with the shifter in the high position, the VCM 102sends a signal to the MCM 100 to control the electric motor 50 in thehigh mode described above (i.e. with the torque limited to T1) up to apredetermined vehicle speed V4, and above the speed V4, the VCM 102sends a signal to the MCM 100 to control the electric motor 50 in aneconomy mode. In the economy mode, the electric motor 50 has a moreeffective energy consumption than when the electric motor 50 operatesaccording to the lever 202 being in either one of the high and lowpositions. In the economy mode, the MCM 100 controls the electric motor50 based on signals from the VCM 102 such that the speed of the vehicle10 is limited to a speed V3, that is less than V1 but higher than V2,and the torque that can be generated by the electric motor 50 is limitedto a torque T3, that is lower than T1 and T2, thereby limiting theacceleration of the vehicle 10. In one example, V3 is about 60 percentof V1, T3 is about 50 percent of T2, and V4 is about 25 percent of V1.In the economy mode with the shifter in the low position, the VCM 102sends a signal to the MCM 100 to control the electric motor 50 in thelow mode described above (i.e. with the torque limited to T2) up to thespeed V4, and above the speed V4, the VCM 102 sends a signal to the MCM100 to control the electric motor 50 in the economy mode except that theVCM 102 limits the vehicle speed to V2 (i.e. the maximum vehicle speedin the low mode but with the torque limited to T3). It is contemplatedan additional discrete shifter position could be defined by the slot 220where the VCM 102 would send a signal to the MCM 100 to control theelectric motor 50 in the economy mode at all available vehicle speeds(i.e. with the torque limited to T3 up to the limit speed V3).

In one embodiment, the above control of the electric motor 50 is done byusing multiple control maps, but it is contemplated that a single mapcould be used. Also, in one embodiment, the VCM 102 includes aproportional-integral-derivative controller (PID controller) to generatethe signals to the MCM 100 and control the electric motor 50.

Other factors also limit the speed of the vehicle 10 and the torquegenerated by the electric motor 50 some of which are described below

If the temperature sensor 62 senses that the electric motor continues togenerate excessive heat even after the fan 60 has been turned on, if thevehicle 10 is operating in the high mode (i.e. shifter 46 in the highposition with the economy mode switch 194 deactivated), then the VCM 102could send a signal to the MCM 100 to now control the electric motor 50in the low mode even though the shifter 46 has not moved. If thetemperature of the motor 50 exceeds a maximum predetermined temperature,the VCM 102 sends a signal to the MCM 100 to stop supplying current tothe electric motor 50 in order to interrupt the operation of theelectric motor 50.

In one embodiment, the safety belt 17 is provided with a sensor todetermine if the driver has fastened his safety belt 17. If the VCM 102receives a signal indicative that the safety belt 17 has not beenfastened, then the VCM 102 sends signals to the MCM such that the torqueprovided by the electric motor 50 is only a fraction of the torque thatwould otherwise be provided. In one example, this fraction decreases, insteps or gradually, as the speed of the vehicle 10 increases up to apredetermined vehicle speed at which no torque will be generated by theelectric motor 50 regardless of the position of the accelerator pedal20. In one example, this vehicle speed is less than the speed V3 of theeconomy mode. It is also contemplated that the fraction of the torquethat is provided could also be based on the position of the shifter 46and therefore the fraction of the torque that is provided would differdepending on whether the shifter 46 is in the high position or the lowposition.

If the driver of the vehicle 10 depresses the accelerator pedal 20 andthe brake pedal at the same time, the VCM 102 sends a signal to the MCM100 such that the torque provided by the electric motor 50 is only afraction of the torque that would otherwise be provided. This fractionis based on the current vehicle speed and it is contemplated that itcould change as the speed of the vehicle 10 changes. In one example, ifthe driver of the vehicle 10 depresses the accelerator pedal 20 and thebrake pedal at the same time and the vehicle 10 is operating at lessthan a predetermined low speed (5 km/h for example), the torque providedby the electric motor 50 is only a fraction (¾ for example) of thetorque that would otherwise be provided, and above the predetermined lowspeed no torque is generated by the electric motor 50 regardless of theposition of the accelerator pedal 20.

The RUV 10 has other features and components such as headlights andhandles. As it is believed that these features and components would bereadily recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art, furtherexplanation and description of these components will not be providedherein.

Modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiment of thepresent invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art. Theforegoing description is intended to be exemplary rather than limiting.The scope of the present invention is therefore intended to be limitedsolely by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of shutting down an off-road vehicle,the vehicle including two rear wheels, two front wheels, a motorselectively operatively connected to the wheels, a front driveshaftselectively connected to the motor to selectively drive the two frontwheels, and a rear driveshaft connected to the motor to drive the tworear wheels, the method comprising: interrupting operation of the motor;and automatically operatively connecting the front driveshaft to themotor once the operation of the motor has been interrupted.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising automatically connecting a rearleft drive axle to a rear right drive axle such that the two rear wheelsare rotatable together.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprisingautomatically connecting a front left drive axle to a front right driveaxle such that the two front wheels are rotatable together.
 4. Themethod of claim 3, wherein automatically connecting the front left driveaxle to the front right drive axle comprises connecting the front leftand right drive axles together with a front gear assembly, the frontgear assembly operatively connecting the front left and right driveaxles to the front driveshaft.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereininterrupting operation of the motor includes moving a vehicle key to an“off” position.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein: the motor is anelectric motor; and the vehicle further includes at least one batteryelectrically connected to the electric motor.
 7. The method of claim 1,further comprising moving a shifter of the vehicle to a park position;and wherein interrupting operation of the motor includes interruptingoperation of the motor in response to the shifter moving to the parkposition.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising automaticallyengaging a parking brake in response to the shifter moving to the parkposition, the parking brake being operatively connected to at least oneof the electric motor and at least one of the wheels.